Roche announced that Actemra (tocilizumab) can significantly inhibit structura[1] damage to joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a critical measure of effectiveness of an RA treatment. Actemra also improved the patients' physical function after one year of therapy, leading to a better quality of life. 
Bayer HealthCare AG and development partner Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) announced that the first patient has been dosed in the new VIEW 2 trial, a second Phase 3 clinical study in a development program evaluating VEGF Trap-Eye for the treatment of the neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), a leading cause of blindness in adults. 
Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ) reported that a preliminary analysis of data from an ongoing open-label Phase 2 clinical trial of its investigational oral therapy Genz-112638 showed that the compound produced a meaningful impact on key clinical manifestations of Gaucher disease. Bayer Schering Pharma's new low-dose oral contraceptive YAZ® has been approved in the EU. YAZ® will be the first oral contraceptive on the European market containing the unique progestin drospirenone combined with a low dose of ethinyl estradiol in a new dosing regimen of 24 days of active hormone tablets and four days of placebo. 
Boehringer Ingelheim announced that the European Commission has given the full marketing authorisation to its HIV protease inhibitor (PI), Aptivus® (tipranavir). The Commission has fully approved Aptivus ® for the suppression of HIV in highly treatment experienced patients who have developed resistance to other protease inhibitors. 
A team of researchers from Novo Nordisk is nominated for Europe's top innovation prize, Inventor of the Year 2008 Award, that will be presented at a ceremony in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on 6 May by the European Patent Office and the European Commission. 
GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) announced that Fountain Acquisition Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSK, is commencing a cash tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SIRT) (Sirtris), for $22.50 in cash without interest and less any required withholding taxes.